Some Scots have ‘waited too long’ for benefits, minister tells MSPs

Some benefit claimants have “waited too long” for payments to be made to them, the social security minister has conceded.

Ben Macpherson came under pressure over the length of time some Scots have had to wait for Adult Disability Payments to be made – with MSPs being told some Scots had waited six months for their cash.

With Labour claiming that the benefits system in Scotland was being “propped up by the DWP” – the  Department for Work and Pensions at Westminster – Mr Macpherson also confirmed “contingency” plans have been put in place with the UK agency which could see it continue to make payments to disabled Scots and carers until March 2026.

The social security minister insisted the Scottish Government was still “on track” for payments for 700,000 disabled people and carers to be transferred to Social Security Scotland by the end of 2025.

But he added that a three-month contingency to end of March 2026 had been arranged “for safety reasons only”.

Mr Macpherson made the comments as he came under fire over the time it takes for people to receive the Adult Disability Payment.

Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie asked him if it was “fair or dignified to let people wait for sometimes up to six months to get their Adult Disability Payment”.

Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour also hit out, saying: “People are having to wait four months for their disability payment application to be processed and some are waiting six months for a decision.

“That is six months without vital aid for some of the most vulnerable people in our country. Simply unacceptable.”

Mr Macpherson said while many people were receiving the payment “efficiently” there have “been a number of cases where people have waited too long”.

He insisted changes were “proactively” being made to they system to try to get waiting times down.

But he also came under attack over Winter Heating Payments, with Mr Balfour claiming this was “fast becoming a spring heating payment” with money which was due to go out to people in February not being awarded until March in some cases.

Mr Macpherson insisted he had been clear payments would be made “from February”.

But Labour’s Pam Duncan-Glancy said that was “no use for people whose bills are piling up now”.

She added: “They can’t tell their energy supplier they will pay in February or March.”

While she said the devolution of social security powers to Holyrood had led to changes being made, the Labour MSP added: “Under the surface payments are delayed, processes are failing, and social security in Scotland is being propped up by the DWP, because three quarters of benefits are still administered by them due to Scottish Government delays.”

Mr Balfour blasted: “Far from the sunny uplands that we were promised, devolved benefits have been a mess of missed deadlines, delayed payments and disappointed claimants.

“The Scottish Government is over budget, over time and has woefully under delivered.”

However Mr Macpherson insisted that the Scottish Government was “delivering real and meaningful change” with its benefits.

The minister went on to set out the timetable for new payments which are due to be introduced, saying the Carer Support Payment – which will replace the UK Government’s Carer’s Allowance – will be piloted by the end of this year, before a national launch in the spring of 2024.

The Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which will replace the Winter Fuel Payment, will launch in the winter 2024, the minister added.

Meanwhile the Pension Age Disability Payment, which will replace the current UK Government Attendance Allowance, is scheduled for a national roll out in 2025.